Senate Republican scrutinizes Meta over its handling of sexual harassment allegations

A top Senate Republican is pressing Meta for details on its handling of sexual harassment allegations going back more than a decade.

A top Senate Republican is pressing Meta for details on its handling of sexual harassment allegations going back more than a decade.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, sent a letter to the company on Tuesday asking about allegations made public in March that one of its executives, Joel Kaplan, sent sexually harassing emails to an employee in 2015 and 2016. The letter also asked for information about any other substantiated allegations of sexual harassment or workplace misconduct against “company leadership” since 2010 and for materials related to Meta’s workplace training.

Later Tuesday, Meta responded to Grassley by letter and said it planned to turn over an internal report that, according to the company, cleared Kaplan of wrongdoing in 2017. Meta said it investigated the allegations against Kaplan and found them to be “entirely without merit.”

Heidi Swartz, Meta’s vice president of employment law and investigations, also offered in the letter to meet with Grassley’s staff.

Grassley’s review of the matter appears to be in an early stage, and it’s part of a broader set of questions the senator has been asking about how Meta is complying with federal laws that protect whistleblowers.